Revelations
by genies9
Summary: Chapter 17 now up! COMPLETED! Sue me I lied... Sequel to Secrets Revealed... The Agency is back, and Suze not only has to stop them for good, but she also has to save an old friend.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'M BACK! Okay, okay, I know. I said I wasn't going to write a sequel to "Secrets Revealed." But you know what? I lied. Okay, actually, I just got this idea as I was standing outside enjoying the rare fine weather. I thought y'all might like the return of a certain character, since you people made such a fuss over what happened to him in "Secrets Revealed." Anyway, the Agency is back. Enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Mediator. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Have you ever had one of those days when nothing seems to be going at all like you wanted it to?  
  
Well, this wasn't one of those days. I woken up this morning in Jesse's arms-a place, I might add, that I found very nice. Then when I got to school, everything just seemed to be going just fine. Even Father Dominic didn't lecture me quite as much as he usually does.  
  
And then school let out for the day, and everything just went downhill.  
  
It was just as I was striding across the front lawn of the school that I heard someone call out to me. "Mrs. De Silva, I presume," a voice I knew very well said from behind me.  
  
I froze. There's only one person-aside from Father Dom-who knows that I'd married Jesse. Only one, and he just happened to be dead.  
  
I turned and stared at him. "Derek?" I hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was around to hear me. I walked closer until I was right up against the outer adobe walls of the school. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Derek shrugged. "I'm here on business." I raised my eyebrows at that. I wasn't quite sure I wanted to know what he meant by "business."  
  
I wasn't too thrilled about seeing Derek right then. For the past few months since his death, I'd been trying to forget the fact that he was dead because of me. I mean, of course, Detective Arnold had been the one to shoot him, but he wouldn't have done it if Derek wasn't trying to protect me.  
  
That fact didn't exactly sit well with me.  
  
So, that's why I sounded a little weary as I asked, "What business?"  
  
"The Agency is back," Derek said, though he wouldn't quite meet my gaze.  
  
"What do you mean it's back?" I demanded. "I thought we got rid of the Agency."  
  
Derek sighed, shaking his head. "Not quite. We destroyed their building, and that's really all." He bit his lip. "They still want us-or rather, you; they don't really have a use for me anymore."  
  
Something in the way he said that last part made me suspicious. I narrowed my eyes at Derek. He still wasn't meeting my gaze. I'm not sure what exactly made me realize it, but suddenly the truth dawned on me. "You're working for them, aren't you?"  
  
He shot me a look. "It's not my choice. I'm still a prisoner of the Agency, whether I like it or not." He ran his hand through his dark hair. "Look, I'm obligated to tell you that the Agency wants you back. They're not going to take no for an answer." He looked like he genuinely hated having to tell me this.  
  
I knew that he was right about one thing-the Agency certainly wasn't going to take no for an answer. I knew from experience how they got their agents to cooperate. So, of course, I couldn't very well say no.  
  
Besides, someone had to save Derek, didn't they?  
  
So, I said yes. Okay, don't start with me. I know that I was probably doing a very stupid thing. But you know what? I owed Derek that much.  
  
So, after I agreed, Derek went, "We'll be in touch," and then he was gone.  
  
To say the encounter was a strange one would be a horrible understatement.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Okay, now we get to see the hormonal (is that even a word?) side of Jesse de Silva. Come now, we all knew there had to be one, right? He is only human. And a guy, to boot. So, please enjoy this rare moment.  
  
***  
  
By the time I got home, the house was empty. I climbed the stairs to my bedroom. When I was inside, I locked the door behind me.  
  
Before I got a chance to turn around, large, muscular arms encircled my waist. I nearly jumped out of my skin. "Jesse!" I turned around, hitting him lightly on his broad chest.  
  
Jesse grinned down at me, then dropped a light kiss on my mouth. Then he continued place light kisses down along my jaw and then my throat. "How was school?" he murmured against my neck.  
  
I almost wanted to laugh-except, of course, that I couldn't. Married or not, Jesse's touch still made my knees go weak-Jesse, despite being dead, had more hormones than any live guy I've ever known.  
  
"Jesse," I said, pushing lightly at his chest. "Not now, okay?"  
  
In response, Jesse took my hand and moved it downward so I could really know how he was feeling right then. "I think that now would be a very good time," he said, smiling.  
  
Well, what could I say to that? Not that I complained when he picked me up and carried me to the bed and then set me down on it. Nor did I complain when he discarded his clothes and climbed in with me.  
  
I certainly wasn't complaining for the next few hours, let me tell you.  
  
However, it was at that moment, when I was laying in bed with Jesse's arm draped over me, that I remembered to mention my conversation with Derek.  
  
That's because just as I was about to drift off to sleep, a very familiar voice said, "Well, isn't this a nice picture?"  
  
***  
  
Is it just me or did this chapter move to fast? Ah, well, it'll slow down soon enough, I guess. But tell me, don't you love the naked Jesse? 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, I started out writing one of my other stories, and now I'm writing "Revelations." So, if some dude named George suddenly appears, just ignore him. I'm kidding.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
I sat straight up, pulling the blanket up with me. "Derek!" I hissed, glancing at Jesse. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Derek was at the moment staring at the ceiling, obviously not wanting to look anywhere near the bed. But instead of answering my question, he went, "You know, I'd figured that by this time, you guys would have gotten married, but I thought that you'd at least wait until after the sun went down." Then he smiled. At least, I think he smiled. It was kind of hard to tell from where I was sitting. "I take it you didn't tell him, Suze."  
  
Ignoring Jesse's interested look, I mumbled, "I was a little distracted."  
  
"I can see that. Would you guys mind putting some clothes on?"  
  
"As soon as you leave," I said.  
  
Derek sighed. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Agency's orders, you know." He rubbed his chin. "-5 He rubbed his chin. "They wanted me to let you know, Suze, that they want to see you in about two days." His voice sounded edgy, like he really didn't like what he was saying. Not that I blamed him.  
  
I didn't have to look at Jesse to know that he wasn't happy at this news. He said something, but I didn't really hear him. I just stared at Derek. "Two days?" I demanded.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah. They don't want you to have enough time to change your mind. Oh, and one more thing. they're not thrilled about you two," he warned. And then he disappeared.  
  
I finally stole a glance at Jesse.  
  
"What," he wanted to know, "is going on?"  
  
I sighed, rolling out of bed and picking up my clothes from the floor. "Look, Jesse, the Agency's back, and they're making Derek work for them." I started pulling on my clothes, though Jesse stayed right where he was. "They want me still, and I have to go along, because I owe Derek, and someone has to save him." I bit my lip, waiting for Jesse to say something.  
  
Jesse rubbed his forehead-though, of course, since he's a ghost, it didn't hurt. "Susannah," he said finally. "You don't own Derek anything. He chose to die for you. You shouldn't put yourself in that situation again." Something flashed in his eyes, and I knew he was remembering what it had been like for him when we were at the Agency. I knew that the thought of it still haunted him sometimes.  
  
"Be that as it may, I still can't just leave him there," I reminded him. "He is our brother-in-law, remember?" Because, of course, Derek had fallen in love with Jesse's sister, Amelia-or rather, her ghost-and had ended up marrying her. And then the Agency had exorcised Amelia, and, well, it was a big part of the reason why Derek had wanted to destroy the Agency so badly.  
  
I certainly couldn't blame him in that, either.  
  
Jesse stood up and walked over to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. "I know," he said in that soft, silky voice of his. "I just don't want to see you hurt again." He kissed me lightly, then pulled away. "I'll be fine," I assured him, though, really, I wasn't quite as sure as I sounded.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Okay, I know that was really short, but oh well. I'll try to update soon. 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Did you miss me? Say yes. You can always catch me for a short time (until she updates, I'm guessing) on ShadowKat's Mediator fanfics. I have a lovely (and short) Author's Note there. Wait. if I'm not the author, only a reviewer/friend/fellow author, wouldn't that NOT be and Author's Note? Oh, poo, I'm confusing myself again. Yeah. Anyway, where was I? Right. The story.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
It was sort of nice, you know, to be in charge of the situation. Well, all right, I was about as much in charge as Derek was-and that wasn't much. But at least this time around I was ready. Or at least, I thought I was ready.  
  
Which is why the next day found me outside the gates of Junipero Serra Mission Academy, waiting for the Agency to pick me up.  
  
I was only waiting there for about five minutes before the black sedan-the same car they'd used before-showed up, exactly when Derek had told me it would. The door opened and a pair of guards emerged-different from the ones before, but still as big and beefy-from the backseat of the car.  
  
Before they could grab me-I swear these people are have no creativity, it was almost identical to the scene that had taken place several months ago-I held up my hands and went, "Hey, hold it."  
  
They stopped and sort of just blinked dumbly at me. Great, it's good to know the Agency employed such intelligent staff. I rolled my eyes, sighing. "I'm very capable of getting in myself," I said. Then I walked past the two dumbfounded giants-because, compared to me at least, that's what they were- and got into the car.  
  
I just hoped that I wasn't making a very big mistake.  
  
***  
  
Jesse materialized in one of the offices on the second floor of the new Agency building. He'd never gone much farther than the prison cell he'd been forced to call home for over a week months ago, and this was the first time he had gone up to the second floor.  
  
He didn't know the name of the woman sitting in front of him and he didn't particularly want to know. She was in charge of the Agency-she had been the one who had organized it and she was a large part of the reason why Susannah seemed to forever be chained to this place.  
  
She looked up at him. "Hello, Jesse," she said with a small, knowing smile. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"What," Jesse asked tersely, "is he doing here?"  
  
Shuffling the papers on her desk, she answered, "I'm afraid I don't know of whom you are speaking."  
  
"You know perfectly well who I am talking about."  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Mr. De Silva," she said after a moment, "What the agency chooses to do with its agents is none of your business." She held up a hand, silencing Jesse's protests. "I am aware that you believe it is your business, but I, and most of the Agency, for that matter, disagree with you." She stood, taking papers from her desk with her. "Now, if you'll excuse me." Without another word, she walked past him and out of the room.  
  
***  
  
I lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling of the room the Agency had given me. There weren't any cameras in this one, like I'd half-expected there to be, but there were cameras outside my door and all around the corridors.  
  
Someone knocked on the door. I ignored them, closing my eyes. I might have walked right into a trap, but that didn't mean I was going to deal with it right then. I needed time to think over what I was going to do, because really, I had no clue.  
  
The knocking continued. I rolled off my bed, going to the door. "Go away," I said to whoever was on the other side.  
  
"Susannah," a familiar voice said from the other side of the door. "Susannah, please let me in."  
  
I swung open the door almost before he had the chance to finish his sentence. "Jesse?"  
  
Jesse entered my room, glancing around, as if he expected someone else to be there. I was surprised, to say the least. The last time I'd been stuck at the Agency, I had only been able to see Jesse a couple of times, and that was only when-  
  
I shook my head, trying to forget the memory. Jesse was safe now. No one was trying to control him. But I still couldn't get the picture of him out of my head-sitting in that cell, unmoving and helpless.  
  
"Why didn't you just materialize?" I asked finally, after a long moment of silence.  
  
Jesse glanced at me. "I tried, but the Agency evidently did something to this room-or to me-that won't allow me to enter that way." Then he came forward and took me in his arms, murmuring stuff in Spanish into my hair. "Querida," he said, "are you all right?" He looked down at me, concern evident in his eyes.  
  
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." I leaned up and kissed him. He kissed me back for a moment, then, reluctantly, let me go.  
  
"Susannah, you have to be very careful," he warned. He reached out and stroked my cheek. That one touch sent shivers up my spine. "Things are more complicated this time."  
  
"I know."  
  
"No." Jesse shook his head earnestly. "No, you don't understand. Things have changed more than you realize." He sighed, and then took his hand away from my cheek. "I wish I could say more-" he broke off. "I should go," he finally said.  
  
"Don't go," I said suddenly, taking his hand.  
  
"Susannah-"  
  
"We don't have to do anything," I said quickly. "I just-could you just stay with me for awhile?" I don't know why I wanted Jesse there right then. I suppose it just made me feel better-safer-to have him there with me.  
  
Jesse sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "All right," he relented.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Are y'all happy now? Now, I have a bone to pick with all the authors who I so like, some of whom have been complaining that I need to update my story: YOU ALL NEED TO UPDATE! See, I can say that now with a clear conscience since I just updated mine. And yeah, you all know who you are. :P Oh, and did you notice how the dude in charge of the agency is a she and not a he? Interesting, isn't it? 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Jesse stayed in Susannah's room until she had fallen asleep. He watched her chest gently rise and fall for several minutes, unable-or rather, unwilling- to look anywhere but her sleeping form.  
  
Finally, he left her room and traveled down the long hallway to another door at the far end. Unlike Susannah's, Jesse could enter this room by simply materializing. But then, he suspected that was because the Agency didn't much care what Jesse did to the occupant of that room.  
  
When he entered the room, Jesse found that particular occupant waiting for him-looking as smug and relaxed as he always had.  
  
Jesse felt the familiar surge of anger that he felt around him. He didn't know what the Agency was planning, but if involved him* then it couldn't be anything good.  
  
"Hello, Jesse," he said.  
  
"Slater."  
  
***  
  
When I awoke the next morning, Jesse was gone. In his place, though, was Derek.  
  
"Morning, sleepy head," Derek said in what I think was supposed to be a cheerful voice. Instead, it just came out sounding strained.  
  
I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes. "Morning," I mumbled sleepily. I looked around. "Where's Jesse?"  
  
Derek's strained smile turned into something that was close to a frown but not quite. "He's taking care of something," he said after a moment.  
  
"What?" I turned my gaze back to Derek who shifted uneasily.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough," he assured me. "Come on, you should get to the cafeteria before breakfast is over."  
  
I slid out of bed, moving over to the closet on the other side of the room. I never found out where the Agency got all the clothes that they supplied their agents with. Not that the clothes were all that great, of course. But still.  
  
"Is the food any better than it used to be?" I asked. Then, I remembered something: Derek didn't eat, being dead. I turned red. Glancing back at him, I muttered, "Er, sorry. I-"  
  
Derek held up a hand, giving me a small smile. "It's okay. Just hurry up and get dressed." Then he dematerialized, leaving me to my own thoughts.  
  
***  
  
"Why," Jesse said tersely, "are you here?"  
  
Paul smiled at him. "I have my reasons," he said guardedly. "Why are you here?"  
  
Jesse gritted his teeth. He hated Paul. He had never hated anyone more than he hated Paul-but then, Paul had tried to kill Susannah on numerous occasions. "I'm here to help. a friend," he said, not entirely sure if that would be the right thing to call Derek.  
  
"Ah, yes." Paul leaned back in his chair. "Your 'friend.' Derek Ashley, isn't it?" He grinned at Jesse's look of annoyance. "You know, Jesse, it's hard to keep things from me."  
  
Jesse smiled thinly. "Apparently so. However, you still haven't answered my question: Why are you here?"  
  
"I have a proposition for you, de Silva." Jesse inwardly groaned, remembering the last proposition that Paul had offered someone. "I want to help you."  
  
Jesse raised a skeptical brow. "Somehow I highly doubt that."  
  
"It's true," Paul said with a shrug. "I can help you and your friend get out of here. And Suze, of course, too," he added.  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Jesse asked, "And what would you want in return?" Jesse felt his insides twist into knots-could that happen to ghost?-because a part of him already knew the answer.  
  
"I want Suze."  
  
***  
  
It took a long time before they finally agreed on a plan. It was risky-and perhaps a bit stupid on Jesse's part-but it was the only thing to go on at that point.  
  
And it put Susannah's life in definite danger. Jesse knew that Paul's plans for her would not be anything good-not that they ever were. However, even as Jesse was making his reluctant plans with Paul, he was already formulating his own.  
  
He just prayed that it would work.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Does Jesse seem slightly evil at the end to you? I don't know, he sort of does. But on the bright side, it all turns out for the best in the end!  
  
How's that for a faster update? Is everyone happy with that fact? No? Why not!? Just kidding. Sort of. 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: You know, for a bunch of people who wanted me to update, y'all really haven't reviewed a whole heck of a lot. For the last chapter, I only got 2 reviews. Come on people, y'all can do better than that! ::scowls at everyone:: I realize the format was screwed up for awhile, but it's fixed now, and I suggest that you read it if you haven't (or couldn't before) because otherwise some stuff won't make sense.  
  
Now, I came up with this stuff earlier today while I was working in the Preschool Room ::shudders:: at the Library. And a question that I've had since reading bunnygirl's "Angel Wings": WHY is doing. you know, THAT, called a "lemon?" I never got it. Yeah. Anyway. On with the story.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
When Jesse arrived in the office, he wasn't entirely sure what to expect. He hadn't heard anything since he had made his deal with Paul two days earlier. When he had been called up to the office, he had wondered temporarily if Paul had gone to the head of the Agency. But that didn't make any sense. Why would he go to her? Surely he wasn't that crazy.  
  
Or so Jesse thought.  
  
When he materialized in the office, Jesse found not only the woman sitting behind her desk, but Paul as well, standing further back, against the wall.  
  
"Hello, Jesse," she said with a smile. Jesse shot a look at Paul, then turned back to the woman. "Paul has given me an interesting proposition." She leaned back in her chair. "I have agreed to let Suze go-on one condition."  
  
Jesse gaped. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that Paul had somehow talked the Agency into letting them go.  
  
But of course it wasn't that simple. "I will let her go, on the condition that you stay here," She smiled again. Jesse stiffened "and work for us."  
  
Now Jesse understood. In keeping him there, Susannah wouldn't cause any trouble for the Agency-she might even do anything they wanted-in case they hurt him.  
  
It was a bad idea, he knew that. But he had to do it, for Susannah. It was the easiest way to get her out of there for good.  
  
"I'll do it," Jesse said after a long moment. "But only if Derek goes, too."  
  
Her smile disappeared. She glanced at Paul, who just gave her a warning look. Jesse thought that was a bit odd, but chose not to voice it. The woman turned back to him. "Deal."  
  
***  
  
I was in a daze for a while after I got home. The Agency hadn't given me any reason whatsoever for letting me go. Not that I wasn't thrilled about it. Because I was, of course. And the next day, when Derek showed up in my room, looking happier than I'd seen him in a while, I was even more thrilled, because, of course, they'd let him go, too.  
  
Not that I didn't wonder why. I thought about it to no end over the next few days-in between, of course, assuring my family that I was fine and wasn't going to disappear on them again.  
  
But then, a few days after I got home, Jesse finally showed up. I had been wondering where he had gone. I had tried calling him, but each time he wouldn't show up.  
  
When he finally did, he looked a lot different than the last time I had seen him. In all truth, he sort of resembled the way he had looked at the Agency when Detective Arnold had been controlling him.  
  
"Jesse?" I said, feeling more than a little concerned at the distant look on his face as I sat up from my position on my bed-where I had previously been reading the latest issue of Cosmo.  
  
He turned his gaze on me, and I felt dread filling my stomach. I don't know what it was, but something in his eyes made me very, very uneasy. "What's wrong?"  
  
Jesse came and sat down on the bed beside me, taking my hands. "Susannah," he said, his voice sounding a bit hoarse. "You must listen to me. I-" he couldn't quite look at me as he said this part-"I have to go away for awhile."  
  
I blinked. To say his statement sounded strange would be an understatement in the least. "What are you talking about?" I demanded, trying to make him meet my gaze.  
  
Jesse shook his head. "I can't tell you what's going on yet. Just promise me that you'll be careful." He finally looked up at me, his gaze searching- searching for what, I wasn't sure.  
  
"I-" But before I could finish my sentence, Jesse leaned forward and kissed me in a manner that could only be considered urgent.  
  
When he finally pulled back a little, he gazed down at me and said, "I love you." Then he was gone.  
  
And right then I got the sinking feeling that that might be the last time I ever saw Jesse.  
  
***  
  
A/N: If you're worried, don't be. There's good stuff on the way. Was that cliffhangerish? It was supposed to be if it wasn't. Poor Suze. Poor Jesse. And what on Earth is up with Paul? Hmm? Well, let's just see. 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Guess who's in this chapter. No, no, don't look! You're supposed to be shocked out of your minds. Even if you're not, pretend to be.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
When Jesse returned to the Agency, there was Hell to pay. He'd known that the moment he went to see Susannah, but he still had to go.  
  
So, for the next two weeks he was locked up in one of the rooms at the Agency-reminiscent (A/N: Hey, I spelled it right on the 1st try!) of the one he had occupied before, not to mention in a state like the one he had been in the last time.  
  
Jesse stood up from his seat on the bench, stretching. He didn't think that ghosts needed to stretch, but he still did it for good measure. After only a couple weeks, he was already tired of the place-it didn't take more than a couple hours, if he were to be honest. It made him sick to think about how long he would be there.  
  
"They certainly changed this place quite a bit since I was here," a voice that was only vaguely familiar to Jesse said from somewhere behind him.  
  
Jesse spun around the girl-well, woman, rather-standing before him looked more familiar than her voice. She couldn't have appeared more than eighteen, with long black hair that-unlike his-was completely uncurlable (A/N: Is that a word? It is now). The last time he had seen her-while he was alive anyway-she had been ten years old and climbing every tree in sight.  
  
The main difference, however, was the fact that she was long since dead.  
  
Jesse smiled faintly. "Amelia."  
  
She grinned at him-a rather refreshing relief from the stark blankness of the room around them. "Hello, Jesse," she said. "It's. . . it's good to see you again." She glanced around, her smile fading a bit. "Even if it is here."  
  
There was a long awkward pause. Then, Jesse said, trying to sound light, "Allow me to congratulate you on your nuptials. Both of them." He said this last part in reference to the man she had married when she was alive.  
  
Amelia scowled at him, beginning to look very much the way she had at ten. She seemed misinterpret his meaning, saying, "I will have you know, dear brother, that Derek is a very good man, and-"  
  
Jesse held up a hand silencing her. "I was not referring to Derek," he said slowly, though he had to admit-at least to himself-that his respect for his brother-in-law was a bit grudging. But that mostly had to do with what had happened the last time they had all been at the Agency. "I was referring to that alcoholic wastrel you refer to as your first husband."  
  
Amelia didn't bother to argue with Jesse's assessment of the man-mostly because he was right, of course. "Yes, well." Her voice trailed off for a moment. Then, "I did not come here to talk about that. I have a message for you." Jesse nodded, signaling her to go on. Amelia sighed. "The message is simply this: You cannot trust the Agency. You must consider anything they say-any promises they make-as lies."  
  
Jesse shook his head. Nothing she had just said, of course, was anything new to him. "I had noticed," he gave her a rather pointed look.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Hector," she said in a warning voice. After a moment, she sighed. "Just keep that in mind. And whatever you do, don't do anything stupid."  
  
He was tempted to point out that he almost never did anything stupid, but instead, he said, "Shouldn't you be with your husband?"  
  
Tilting her chin, Amelia said, "I was just on my way." But before she left, she stopped, biting her lip. "Jesse. . ." she began. Then, she sighed again. "Just be careful." And then, without another word, she dematerialized, leaving Jesse to his thoughts.  
  
***  
  
Two years later.  
  
Jesse supposed that there were benefits to cooperating with the Agency. For example, after two long years of being locked up and only brought out to be used for various tests and experiments, he was finally being allowed to venture outside the walls of the Agency.  
  
Not that he didn't have work to do, of course. He wasn't quite-as Susannah would have put it-a free man. He had to watch Paul.  
  
Paul had been released on the heels of Susannah and Derek's release. The Agency had somehow managed to lose track of him a few months earlier-how, Jesse was never sure-and now they needed someone to find him-someone who could materialize and dematerialize anywhere they wanted to. Someone who could walk through solid objects like walls and locked doors.  
  
In other words, they needed him for the job.  
  
He didn't mind much, of course. He wasn't quite sure who he hated more-the Agency or Paul Slater-but if he could do anything to hurt one. . . well, he would do it.  
  
And the good news was, he was going to see Susannah.  
  
Jesse smiled, closing his eyes as he stepped from the Agency building out into the sunshine-something he hadn't seen in more than two years-he could have easily materialized, but he had felt the need, after being locked up in that room, to move around.  
  
He did not, however, waste any time getting to Susannah's house, of course. He hadn't seen his wife in two years-he didn't want to waste any more time dallying outside his prison.  
  
***  
  
I got home late that day, having spent it at the beach with CeeCee and Adam. I was exhausted and just needed to take a nice long shower and go to bed.  
  
I slumped into my room, fully expecting it to be empty. I hadn't seen Jesse in two years-and, wherever he was; I didn't expect him to come back anytime soon.  
  
Not that I thought Jesse had left me, though the thought had crossed my mind. I figured that he must have a good reason for being gone so long. At least, he better have a good reason.  
  
But the moment I closed and locked my bedroom door behind me, someone wrapped their arms around my waist. I shrieked-really, I literally shrieked, I was so surprised.  
  
"Shh," a familiar, silky voice said in my ear. "Susannah, it's just me."  
  
I spun around, feeling unwelcome tears-tears I hadn't allowed myself to shed since a few months after he left-welled up in my eyes. "Jesse? What are you doing here? Where have you-"  
  
Jesse silenced me with a long, passionate kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck, reveling in the feel of being in his arms again.  
  
"Not now," he murmured, cradling my cheek in his hand as he drew back. "I will explain everything later, but now. . ." His eyes drifted toward my bed, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. I wasn't, after all, the only person who had gone without these past two years.  
  
And, yes, it was everything I remembered it to be, only much more urgent- like we were afraid that one of us might disappear at any moment. And considering what had been going on, I wouldn't have been surprised if that really did happen.  
  
But for a couple hours, at least, I was able to forget all the heartache that I'd felt lately, I was able to forget all the loneliness. For one night, at least, it was just me and Jesse, and screw the rest of the world.  
  
But I still felt his fear-fear that I later figured out was that, after he told me the entire story, I would hate him.  
  
At least for that moment, though, I didn't think I ever could.  
  
***  
  
A/N: How was that? It was a little longer than usual, I think. Three full pages and a couple lines on the fourth. It had a little fluff at the end (happy?) And look, I even put in Amelia! That should make Derek happy, shouldn't it? Lol. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
When I woke up the next morning, I almost thought that the night before had only been a dream. A wonderful, bittersweet one, but a dream nonetheless. That's because when I opened my eyes, Jesse was gone, and usually, after nights like the one we had supposedly just had-that is, if it wasn't a dream-he would stay until I woke up.  
  
But then, my bay window was closed. I almost never remembered to close it- in order to keep the morning fog out of my room-and Jesse had always-when he was around, at least-closed it for me. And I was fairly certain that I hadn't closed it the night before.  
  
My question was answered, though, when Jesse materialized next to my bed a few minutes later.  
  
"Where," I wanted to know, "have you been?"  
  
Jesse jerked around, surprised. Obviously, he hadn't realized that I was awake yet. "I-" He shook his head. "I had to look into something."  
  
I threw back the covers, standing up. "That's not what I meant." Was it my imagination, or did Jesse look distinctly uncomfortable?  
  
"Maybe," Jesse said slowly, we should sit down. He motioned to the window seat. We sat and I waited patiently for him to continue. Jesse sighed. "Susannah. . . I don't know how else to tell you this." He glanced down at me, his gaze, as always, unreadable. Some things never changed. "I am working for the Agency," he got out finally.  
  
I stared at him, gaping. "You're what?" I demanded, disbelieving. I couldn't imagine why Jesse would ever agree to work for the Agency. "You're joking. You have to be joking."  
  
"No, I am very serious," Jesse said, sounding a little sad.  
  
I felt deflated, and very, very confused. I wasn't sure what else I felt-if anything-but right then those were the two things I knew for sure that I felt. All I could manage to say-all right, croak-was, "Why?"  
  
Jesse took my hand, squeezing it tightly. "It was the only way at the time that I could see that would free both you and Derek from the Agency. Even if it meant I might never see you again." He touched my cheek with his free hand, meeting my gaze for the first time. "But now. . ."  
  
"Now what?"  
  
Jesse sighed again. "Now, they have sent me with a. . . well, I suppose you might call it a mission." At my questioning look, he went on, "I have to find Paul."  
  
This confused me. The last I had heard, Paul was doing time for murder. (A/N: Suze never found out about Paul being at the Agency.) "But I thought he was in prison."  
  
"No." Jesse shook his head. "The Agency, apparently, found a way to get him out. He was released from the Agency shortly after you and Derek were." He frowned. "Only, recently the Agency has lost track of him. They do not know where he is or what he is doing. . . Or what he is planning." He paused for a second, and then said, "It is my job now to locate him."  
  
I realized with a rather sickening feeling that, if the Agency had been watching Paul that probably meant that they were still watching me, too. But then another thought occurred to me. "What are you supposed to do when you find him?"  
  
Jesse stiffened, and I realized that I'd struck a nerve, though I was quite sure at the moment why. But then he couldn't quite look at me as he answered, "I report it to the Agency."  
  
And then, somehow, I knew. I knew the part he wouldn't tell me about-what was supposed to happen between Jesse finding Paul and then reporting it. And I knew that Jesse didn't feel too good about it. Or at least, I thought I knew.  
  
Though, what possessed me to say what I did next is beyond me. Maybe it was the sort of forlorn look on Jesse's face, or maybe it was just because I wanted to let Jesse know that I understood-at least somewhat. But whatever it was, after a moment, I went, "Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
And then, when Jesse said "No!" a little too quickly, I knew for sure.  
  
But of course, that didn't mean I wasn't going to try and do something.  
  
***  
  
A/N: It's a little short but I didn't want to write it all in one chapter. Now, who knows (or can guess) what the Agency wants Jesse to do? I think it's rather easy, but you never know. 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Gosh, I'm slow at updating, aren't I?  
  
Chapter 8  
  
They had their first somewhat major argument that morning, as Susannah tried to convince Jesse to let her help him.  
  
But of course, he couldn't do that. The Agency might have turned him into an almost completely-unfeeling robot, if you will-the only emotions he had left were pain and anger-and his love for Susannah, and even that seemed unable to sustain him now-but he could not, would not, drag her into this.  
  
With a deep sigh, Jesse materialized on the top floor of the Agency building. He had never been up here, and the man who kept his office there never came downstairs-at least not often.  
  
Jesse entered the office and stared at the man sitting at the large, old oak desk in the center of the room. The desktop was covered in long scratches, reminding him of scars. The man himself seemed as old and dilapidated as his desk. He was a small man with thinning gray hair and a leathery pale face. But his eyes were a clear blue, and he gazed back at Jesse as if he had been expecting him.  
  
"Mr. de Silva," he said quietly. "It's good to have finally met you." Leaning back in his chair, he considered him. "Have you come to ask for my help?"  
  
Jesse shifted, feeling a little uncomfortable under this man's gaze. George Hunter was in a way at the top of the Agency's hierarchy, but he was more of a figurehead, used to capacity and now locked up on the top floor of the Agency's building, waiting, never knowing what for, but still waiting nonetheless.  
  
"I thought that maybe there was some way you could help me." Then, "Us," he corrected, thinking of Susannah, probably still sulking about in her bedroom.  
  
Hunter smiled a little sadly. "I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you, Jesse," he said, sounding almost sad. "I have as much power here as you do." He grabbed the wooden cane that leaned against the desk and stood, looking rather unsteady. He limped to the window-the only one on that floor- and gazed out. "But I will give you some advice." He glanced back at Jesse, measured his reaction, and then continued, "The Agency will get what it wants, one way or another. It's not easily stopped, as you know, and I doubt you could accomplish it alone-even with the help of your wife," he added hastily. He turned stiffly to face him fully. "But remember also, that you and I have one very important thing in common."  
  
Jesse narrowed his eyes, almost afraid to ask. "What is that?"  
  
"We are expendable-the Agency could easily do without us. I have already served their purpose as much I can, and here I am, locked up in this God forsaken office, with no one to keep me company but myself. One day they won't need you any longer, either. What do you think will happen to you and your Susannah then?"  
  
Jesse didn't think he ever wanted to think about it.  
  
***  
  
He had left. That was it. Of course, he'd be back, I knew. And it didn't take a genius to figure out where he'd gone, either. Wherever he was- whatever he was doing-it had something to do with Paul, and he was going to do it without me.  
  
Well, you know what? He could do whatever he wanted. I'd done without him for the past two years, I didn't need him.  
  
At least that's what I kept telling myself. And I continued to tell myself that as I donned my little red bikini and slid into the hot tub that Andy built a couple of years ago.  
  
It just felt so relaxing, lying there, and for a little while at least, I could stop thinking about Jesse and Paul and the Agency.  
  
But then I did start thinking about them. What if Jesse didn't come back? What if he went off and stayed with the Agency forever and I never saw him again? What was he going to do about Paul? Was he really going to do what I thought he would? Could he do it?  
  
Maybe if I hadn't been so caught up in my thoughts I would have heard the person sneaking up behind me. Maybe then I wouldn't have been so taken by surprised when a large hand clamped over my mouth and an all too familiar voice whispered in my ear, "Hello, Suze." And then something hard hit me across the back of my head and everything went black.  
  
***  
  
Where was she?  
  
Jesse searched the house, looking for Susannah. He needed to talk to her, he needed to apologize. But she was nowhere to be found.  
  
Feeling an unreasonable panic begin to well up inside him, Jesse materialized outside, wondering if maybe she had decided to use the hot tub.  
  
But she wasn't there either. Jesse turned away, about to give up when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye.  
  
He turned back, and on closer inspection, he saw what the thing had been. A red stain-seeming huge to him, but really it was rather small-laying there on the wood of the deck. A little had even slipped off into the water, discoloring it.  
  
In that moment, Jesse knew real fear, because that red stain was blood. Susannah's blood. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
When I finally came to, it took me a minute to realize where I was. I'd been tied to a chair in the middle of a room that looked vaguely familiar. And then it hit me: I was in the old ranger station where Paul had nearly killed me two years ago.  
  
As if on cue, Paul emerged from the other room, looking rather different from the last time I'd seen him. His hair was a bit shaggier, and he looked kind of weary and much older than I remembered. But then, I guess prison will do that to you.  
  
"Hello, Suze," Paul said casually, smiling at me. "Long time no see."  
  
I chose that moment to call him a rather dirty word, but he just laughed at me. I couldn't do anything to him and we both knew it. Finally, I asked, "What do you want, Paul?" I knew, of course, but I still felt like I needed to hear it.  
  
Paul didn't answer right away. He strode over to the desk that stood behind me and took something out of one of the drawers. I tried to turn my head to see what it was, but I couldn't see it. "You know," Paul said, "For the past two years I've had two really big goals." I heard him come toward me, though I couldn't see him yet. "I wanted-like you and Jesse, I guess-to destroy the Agency, but for different reasons." I heard a loud clicking sound and I stiffened.  
  
"You never really seemed to have a problem with what they do," I muttered, trying unsuccessfully to keep my voice from shaking.  
  
"No," he agreed. "I wanted to destroy the Agency mainly because they wanted- and still want-to destroy me." He chuckled. I wasn't sure how exactly he could find any of this at all amusing, but then, this was Paul we were talking about. "And yes, I know all about what the Agency wants Jesse to do." Suddenly I felt something rather cold and metallic against the back of my head. A gun. Oh, God. "I have no doubt that he will, of course," Paul added. "But I figure, why not take care of my second goal while still hurting him?"  
  
There was no doubt in my mind what Paul's second goal was. I had landed him in prison, pretty much ruined his life, I guess, and now he was going to kill me once and for all. The weird thing was, though, that even though I knew that, I wasn't afraid. I probably should have been-hell, I should've been peeing my pants right then-but for some reason, I wasn't.  
  
The only thing I felt, to be honest, was guilt at the fact that the last memory I would have of Jesse was our fight from earlier that day. I would never be able to kiss him, or tell him that I loved him ever again.  
  
Looking back on it later, I thought that it was a rather odd moment for what happened next. Because just as I was thinking that, the gun literally flew from Paul's hand and Jesse materialized behind us.  
  
***  
  
Jesse didn't know what led him to the old ranger station. He had assumed that Paul wouldn't even think about taking Susannah there again. But then, it made sense, of course. It was probably the last place that anyone would look for him.  
  
But for whatever reason, Jesse went there. And he found Susannah, tied to a chair with Paul pointing a gun at the back of her head.  
  
He let all his anger and hate-and fear-loose as he lunged at Paul. The gun went skittering across the room, and Jesse sank his fists into Paul's face. Paul of course tried to fight back, but Jesse wouldn't-really, he couldn't- stop. He'd been given a command, and as much as he knew he would hate himself later, he had to adhere to it.  
  
He stopped only when Paul was barely hanging on to consciousness. Jesse stood and picked up the gun from where it had landed. A part of him didn't want to do it-he wasn't, and never had been, a killer-and another part of him wanted to make Paul pay all that he'd done. His hands were shaking horribly as he turned back to Paul.  
  
"Jesse."  
  
He turned and finally looked at Susannah. She was staring at him, wide eyed. He swore, then set the gun down-out of Paul's reach, of course-and went to Susannah. Jesse untied her, then helped her out of the chair. She had a nasty looking bump on the back of her head, but Jesse ignored it for now. "Susannah," he said firmly, taking her arm and steering her toward the door. "I want you to get out of here. Wait. . . wait for me outside."  
  
"Jesse, wait-"  
  
He shook his head. "No. Wait for me outside," he repeated. If he had to do this, he at least didn't want Susannah to have to watch. He wouldn't be able to live-theoretically, of course-with himself if she saw him that way.  
  
Susannah looked like she was going to protest, but finally she leaned up and kissed his cheek, then practically ran from the station.  
  
Jesse sighed, then turned back to Paul. He was staring at him through blurry, glazed blue eyes. Paul watched him as Jesse went back to the gun and picked it up, pointing it at him. He gave one last pitiful attempt to fight the command he'd been given. It was no use, of course. "I'm sorry," he said hoarsely, though he wasn't sure what he was sorry for, or to whom he was apologizing.  
  
***  
  
A gunshot rang out through the night a second later. I whirled around, staring at the ranger station. I ran toward the door, but stopped a few feet away from it. I really didn't want to see what had happened, I realized. It was bad enough that I knew.  
  
A few moment later the door inched open and Jesse appeared. He closed the door behind him and turned to stare down at me. He looked lost and totally forlorn. The minion for the Agency was gone now, replaced by the Jesse I had always known, the Jesse who was horrified by what he had just done.  
  
"Jess," I whispered. I tried to take his hand, but he snatched it away, turning away from me, but not before I saw his hands. They were covered in blood.  
  
***  
  
A/N: I'm torn between thinking I evil and. . . I don't know. Paul was a (bad word here) but I'm not sure that he should have died that way, or that Jesse should have been the one to kill him. Yeah. Well, we still have a ways left to go with this story, in case you're worried. Jesse still needs to be freed from the Agency, and. . . well, I think we can all agree that something needs to be done about the Agency. I'm going to get to that, I promise. And hopefully soon. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
"It's finished."  
  
The women-the same woman who was the real head of the agency-looked up and smiled at Jesse. Jesse returned her gaze with his own hostile one.  
  
"Good, good." She nodded, looking very satisfied. "Then you'll just be getting back to--"  
  
"No," Jesse said, his voice sounding rather hoarse. In the few hours since he and Susannah had left the ranger station, he had tried everything he could to push the memories from his mind. He didn't want to think about it, not now, not ever. "I won't do anymore of your dirty work for you. I refuse to stay here any longer."  
  
She narrowed his eyes at him. He knew that she had every power to keep him there, and that he probably should not be making demands, but he held fast, meeting her gaze unblinkingly.  
  
"We had an agreement, Mr. de Silva," she said slowly. "One that's not easily broken."  
  
Jesse stiffened. "Yes, I understand that, but. . . "  
  
"Oh, let him go, Minerva," a voice said from the doorway. Jesse turned to see George Hunter leaning in the doorway, cane in hand. With one glance at the woman, he noted that she looked about as surprised he felt.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.  
  
Hunter ignored her question. Instead, he said, "He's done what you wanted him to do. He killed Slater for you, so give the boy a break."  
  
The woman-Minerva-stood, glaring at Hunter. "I will not have you coming down here, allowing him-" she pointed an accusing finger at Jesse-"to break the promise that he's made. We had a deal."  
  
Hunter snorted. "Ah, yes. Either he works for you, or you'll hurt his wife. Quite fair, I must say, my dear."  
  
Jesse had the distinct feeling that there was more to this conversation than there seemed. But he really did not have time to figure out what it was.  
  
Minerva opened her mouth to say something, but Hunter-moving surprisingly fast for an old man with a cane-came forward to stand in front of the desk. He gripped the edge, and said in a voice that Jesse knew all too well, "Let him go."  
  
Jesse thought for a moment that she would say no, but after a moment, she looked at him, jaw clenched so tightly that he didn't know how she managed to speak, she said in a voice that didn't seem quite like hers: "You can go."  
  
He stole one last glance at Hunter, and then dematerialized without another word.  
  
***  
  
"How did you get down here?" Minerva demanded as soon as she was in control again.  
  
Hunter snorted, shaking his head. "My dear, I would think that at this point you would realize how much I can do." He gazed at her, wondering for perhaps the millionth time what had happened to make her as cold and. . . well, evil, he supposed. "You know, you are nothing like your mother," he informed her.  
  
Minerva turned away. "Yes, well, I never wanted to be."  
  
Hunter let out a bark of laughter. "That's really too bad. You could have done much better had you taken after her." He limped to the door.  
  
"You're a bastard, you know that?" she said from behind him.  
  
He smiled. "It seems to run in the family, doesn't it?" Then he limped out of the office, without a backward glance.  
  
***  
  
He asked me to wait for him. He said that if he could, he would try to come back. So I waited. But as the hours slipped by, I was starting to think that maybe he wasn't coming.  
  
I sighed, lying back on my bed. I knew what he was thinking about. I knew that he was probably thinking nonstop about what he had had to do to Paul. I couldn't stop thinking about it, either.  
  
It wasn't that Paul hadn't deserved it, because he had. But Jesse shouldn't have had to be the one to do it.  
  
I closed my eyes. I didn't know what I'd do if Jesse didn't come back. College was starting soon, and I guess I would have to occupy myself with that. But, as I'd found out over the past two years, things got rather lonely around here without Jesse.  
  
***  
  
"Father Dominic."  
  
Father Dominic looked up, obviously surprised to see Jesse standing there in his office. It had been more than two years since they had last seen each other, and of course, he had seen first hand the effects it had had on Susannah.  
  
"Jesse." He offered him a small smile. Then, he saw the pained look on Jesse's face. "What's wrong?"  
  
Jesse sat in Father Dominic's office for hours, telling him everything that had happened-everything that he had done-in the past two years. When he was finished, Jesse sat, staring at the priest, waiting for something-censor, pity, anger. Anything.  
  
To Jesse's great surprise, Father Dominic sat back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Something has to be done, of course."  
  
Jesse frowned. "Father Dominic?"  
  
"About the Agency," Father Dominic amended. "Something has to be done about it."  
  
Jesse shook his head. "We have already tried to destroy the Agency. It hasn't worked."  
  
"No, no. Mr. Ashley's methods will not work in this case. But, Jesse, there are other ways of dealing with the Agency besides . . . er, blowing it up. Ways that are legal."  
  
Then he told Jesse what he was thinking of, and by the time Jesse left Father Dominic's office late that night, they had formulated a plan.  
  
The only problem, though, would be getting Susannah to agree to it.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Yeah. I don't know if I liked this one. Oh, well. I'll try to write a better chapter soon.  
  
Would someone, anyone, PLEASE review? I only got one review for my last chapter. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
It was around three in the morning by the time that Jesse finally showed up. I had pretty much given up on him coming back at all, and I had finally managed to get to sleep.  
  
"Susannah," I heard Jesse say through my sleepy haze. I cracked open one eye and looked up at him. God, he looked like a wreck-I didn't even think that Jesse could look like a wreck. He had that awful haunted look in his eyes that I had seen earlier that day after we left the ranger station.  
  
I shuddered, sitting up. "I-I didn't think that you were coming," I muttered.  
  
Jesse looked away from me, apparently feeling the need to stare at my dresser. "I wasn't sure I was coming either." There was a long pause, and then, "Susannah. . ."  
  
I sighed. "Jesse." When he didn't respond, I said more firmly, "Jesse." Finally, with a weary sigh, he turned to face me. I patted the bed next to me. "Come here."  
  
He hesitated only a second than came and sat down beside me. I put my arms around him in what I hoped was a comforting hug. He was stiff at first, and then he sort of melted-it's the only real word for it, anyway-and started shaking uncontrollably.  
  
"Shh," I whispered, stroking his back. It was rather unnerving, really, being the one who was comforting Jesse instead of the other way around. It was just never one of those things that I never imagined happening. And who would? I mean, Jesse's not exactly the kind of guy you'd see breaking down a whole lot. "It's okay," I tried to assure him. "It's over."  
  
Jesse calmed down after awhile and pulled back from me. "I'm sorry," he muttered hoarsely.  
  
I swallowed hard. "It's okay." I gave him a tentative smile. "Look, Jess, about tonight-"  
  
Jesse shook his head. "I don't want to talk about." He gave me a pleading look that nearly broke my heart. "Please, Susannah, not tonight."  
  
I didn't particularly want to talk about it either, so I wasn't about to push it. I just moved closer to him and laid my head on his shoulder. He reached up and stroked my hair, and we just sort of sat like that for awhile. Then he kissed me, murmured something in Spanish, and made me go back to sleep.  
  
Just before I fell asleep again, I looked over at Jesse, sitting on the windowsill. His head was bowed and he was saying something-I couldn't hear what-but a part of me rather thought that he was praying. I turned away, not wanting to disturb him, and not wanting to see me cry.  
  
***  
  
Jeez, it's so short. Not really that good, either, in my opinion. *sighs* Jesse was very ooc. But at least it makes sense with the story. Anyway, you know the drill, read and review. 


	12. Chapte 12

Chapter 12  
  
A couple days later, I found myself sitting in Father Dominic's office. It felt weird being in there since, technically, I didn't go to the school anymore. But Father D had called the night before, asking me to come in to talk to him about something.  
  
I had no idea what he wanted to talk to me about, because I didn't think that he'd heard about what happened with Paul. But it soon became clear to me that he had. Heard about Paul, I mean. That's because when I walked into Father D's office, Jesse was standing there next to the desk.  
  
It's never a good sign when Jesse's in Father Dom's office. The last time he was there when I got called down, Jesse had told me that he didn't want to marry me anymore. I knew before I even sat down that I wasn't going to like what they were going to say. That's usually how it worked, anyway.  
  
Father Dominic sighed wearily. "Susannah, Jesse has told me everything that has happened," he began.  
  
"I figured as much," I said, glancing at Jesse questioningly. Jesse kept his expression blank as he looked back at me. I turned back to Father Dom. "And?"  
  
"And I think, and Jesse has agreed with me on this, that perhaps it's time to take some legal action against the Agency." Father Dominic leaned forward. "From what I have heard, Susannah, these people have been doing a great deal of illegal testing for years. It's about time that someone should finally alert the authorities."  
  
I blinked at him. Of all the things that I had thought Father D would say, that was definitely not one of them. "Well, that's great in theory, Father Dom, but who's going to believe any of it?"  
  
"They will believe it," Jesse said, speaking up for the first time, "if someone shows them." He was looking directly at me as he said it.  
  
Suddenly I realized what they were saying. "Oh, no, I'm not doing it." I stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over my chair. "I am not going to go and tell people about this. The minute I open my mouth, they'll send me off to the loony bin. I'm all for getting rid of the Agency for good, but I'm not going to tell people about. . . about being a mediator. Absolutely not."  
  
"Susannah," Father Dominic said patiently, "I know that you don't feel comfortable with this, but it's the only way to go about it, at least legally, and besides: your family-"  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I know, I know. My family has a right to know. Look, Father D, it doesn't matter if they do or not, they're still not going to believe me, and they'll be carting me off quicker than you can say 'I see dead people.' No freaking way."  
  
I heard Jesse sigh. I glanced at him. "Susannah," he said quietly, in that silky voice of his. "If you don't do this, the Agency will just continue as it has been, and how long do you think it will be before they decide to come after you again? Do you want to spend the rest of your life running from them?"  
  
"No, I don't," I admitted. "But, look, Jesse, we both know what the Agency does to people who cross them. Look at Detective Arnold, or Derek." Or you, I added silently, though I didn't dare say it out loud. "I don't want to have to put myself, or my family, in danger for this."  
  
Father Dominic looked at me thoughtfully. "But Susannah, don't you think that you will be putting yourself in danger even if you don't go to the authorities? Not to mention any other mediators they might be after," he added. "Think of all the people the Agency has hurt. Is it really worth it to not take the chance?"  
  
I sat back down in the chair, considering what he'd said. I thought about Jesse, and I thought about Derek and Amelia, and Emily, and all the people who I hadn't even heard of who had probably gone through the some same stuff as I did with the Agency.  
  
It took them over an hour, but Jesse and Father Dom finally talked me into it. I had no idea what I was going to say or do, but whatever it was, I had to do it.  
  
I just wish that it wasn't that way.  
  
***  
  
That night I went my mom and Andy's room. I took a deep breath, trying to tell myself that everything would be okay, that it would probably go a lot better than I was expecting.  
  
Yeah. Right.  
  
When I knocked on the door, I heard my mom call, "Come in." I opened the door to find my mom sitting in bed, reading a magazine.  
  
She smiled at me. "Hi, Suzie," she said. "What's up?"  
  
I tried to smile back, but couldn't quite manage it. I took a few more deep breaths. Okay, I could do this, I kept telling myself. Like Father D said, it was high time that I finally tell my mom about the whole mediator business.  
  
It didn't make it any easier, though.  
  
"Suze?" my mom prompted, giving me a concerned look.  
  
"Mom, there's something I need to tell you."  
  
***  
  
A/N: Well, it's about time, if you ask me. . . yeah. Anyway, you know the drill. Review! 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
She actually took it better than I thought she would. She didn't call me nuts or laugh at me once.  
  
But then, that might be because, in the middle of telling my mom about being a mediator, Jesse materialized and somehow-don't ask me how, because I don't know-my mom saw him.  
  
Yeah, needless to say, she was kind of freaked out. And it freaked her out even more when I told her that he was my husband. It's weird; that seemed to freak her out more than everything else that I told, even about the Agency and the whole mind control thing. I guess that finding out your son- in-law is a hundred-and-fifty-year-old ghost is rather shocking.  
  
I avoided telling her about my dad, or about what had happened to Paul. I don't think that Jesse really wanted me to tell my family about that. As it turned out, they'd find out eventually, anyway.  
  
This isn't to say that I had an easy time telling my mom-or Andy and my stepbrothers, for that matter. Well, Doc was the only one who really believed me, but I hadn't thought I'd have a hard time convincing him. It was everyone else I had a hard time telling.  
  
Granted, they believed me after I . . . ah, showed off my mind control talents. I didn't do anything big, but. . . well, let's just say that Dopey won't be eating a lot of chicken for awhile.  
  
When I'd finally convinced them, my mom just hugged me and said, "Oh, Suzie, why didn't you tell us?" And you know what? I started bawling. Seriously. It was just like everything that I'd been holding inside for the past eighteen (A/N: Remember, she's technically eighteen now) years was suddenly coming out in one big flood, and there wasn't anything that I could do about it.  
  
But you know what the funny thing is? As soon as I'd gotten it all out, it was like I was suddenly free. All the secrets I'd had to keep over the years were finally out in the open, and I didn't have to worry about my mom finding out or whatever. Because now she knew, and she wasn't going to send me off to the loony bin-I made her promise as much. She just kind of laughed and hugged me some more.  
  
As hard as it had been, I kind of liked the outcome. And Dopey sort of started giving me a rather wide birth for a while.  
  
Unfortunately, the hard stuff had just begun.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Jeez, that was short. I know that chapter sucked, I'm sorry. I'm not really good at writing that kind of thing. . 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
It took us awhile, but we finally were able to take our case to court. Father Dom even helped us find a lawyer—apparently a student of his from way back when, who just happened to be a mediator.  
  
Seriously, how many mediators are there in California? Three years ago, I didn't even know there were any other mediators but me, and now I move to California, and suddenly they're everywhere.  
  
But it was another three months before we actually went to court. During those three months, I had to endure the weird looks people gave me, and all the whispering they did when they thought I wasn't listening—or worse, when they knew I was listening. And I had to endure the occasional death threat, too, from the Agency.  
  
But the worst thing out of all of it was Jesse's silence. He barely spoke to me now, and you know what? In three months he didn't touch me at all. He didn't even kiss me, and he avoided any accidental contact. And you know what? After the first month or so, I stopped feeling sympathetic and started getting pissed. I was getting tired of the self-loathing, and his acting decidedly un-Jesse like. It was making me miserable.  
  
He was scared, I could tell that much. Scared of what, I don't know. Of what he'd turned into, I guess. And, to be honest, it scared me, too. I'd seen what he had been like at the ranger station; I saw what everything with the Agency had done to him. But at this point, my anger was winning out over my fear.  
  
***  
  
Jesse sat in the window seat in Susannah's room later, staring out the window. He knew Susannah was getting impatient with him, and he knew she deserved much better than the way he was treating her, but he didn't know what else to do.  
  
Sighing, Jesse turned away from the window and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Amelia sitting on the bed, watching him.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Jesse demanded warily. He hadn't seen or heard from his sister or Derek in over two years, and he had assumed that they had both moved on.  
  
Amelia didn't answer him right away. She just looked at him sadly. She shook her head. "You're destroying your marriage, you know," she said softly. "You can't continue acting this way forever."  
  
Jesse glared at her. "It isn't any of your business," he muttered, standing up and walking across the room. "Besides, you don't have a record of great marriages yourself."  
  
Amelia stiffened. "Yes, well, at least I tried," she shot back. "All you do all day is wander around, feeling sorry for yourself, and trying to avoid your wife. From what I know, you hated Paul, and deserved what happened to him."  
  
"That isn't the point."  
  
"Then what is, Jesse?" Amelia demanded, turning to look at him as he began to pace. "Don't ostracize Susannah for something that isn't the fault of either of you. You couldn't control what happened, so you shouldn't blame yourself for it."  
  
Jesse ran a hand through his hair, sighing. He knew she was right and he felt awful for the way he was treating Susannah. "We'll see," was all he said. He looked down at his sister and he was suddenly struck by the irony of their situations. Long ago, he'd watched over her and did whatever he could to make sure she was relatively happy. Now it seemed that their roles were reversed. He smiled a little her, probably the first smile he'd formed in months.  
  
Amelia, as if reading his thoughts, smiled, too. They sat there for a long time in silence. Everything they'd always felt needed to be said suddenly seemed less important in retrospect.  
  
***  
  
A/N: I think there will be more along the lines of this conversation in "Everlasting" (Amelia and Derek's story.) Hopefully, anyway.  
  
***  
  
When I slumped into my bedroom that night, I was exhausted. I'd just come back from the lawyer's, and had had to listen to him go on and on about how the trial had to be pushed back and blah, blah, blah. Apparently there aren't a lot of judges out there who are willing to see a case that sounds totally out there. Well, some of it's fine, I guess. Like the Agency could be charged with murder and illegal experimentation (on minors, no less,) but the rest—ghosts, mind control, you know, the works—well, people had a hard time believing in that sort of thing.  
  
When I looked up, I saw Jesse sitting in the window seat. He didn't seem to have noticed me yet, he was just kind of looking out the window, and he looked like he was thinking really hard about something.  
  
I sighed figuring it was the same thing he'd been thinking about for the past three months. I went into the bathroom to change for bed—somehow it just seemed wrong to do it in front of Jesse anymore. When I came back out, Jesse looked up at me.  
  
He gave me wary smile, the first I'd seen in a long time. "Susannah," he said softly. He stood up and took a tentative step toward me, like he was sure if he should approach me or not. When I didn't say anything, he kept going, and finally he was right there in front of me.  
  
"I—I'm sorry," he said after a long moment. Jesse touched my cheek, the first contact he'd bothered to make in what seemed like forever. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, burying my face in his chest. His arms went around my waist, squeezing me tightly.  
  
"It's okay," I told him and, as we stood there like that, I could believe, if only for a little while, that everything was okay. At least between us.  
  
I didn't know what finally brought him around, but whatever it was, I was glad it happened, because I don't think that I could have gotten through the next few weeks without him.  
  
I'd already won one battle, now it was time to finish the other one.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Blah. I'm going to try to update this faster, 'cause I want it to be finished, lol. I've spent almost two years on this storyline—including the time it took me to write Another Haunted before I posted on ff.net—and I'm ready to move on. I have another story thing in the works, but it'll be a long time before I can post it because I need to rewrite it and all that.  
  
But in case you're interested... I wrote awhile back a story about another mediator (who didn't live in CA and never meets Suze) and all the stuff she goes through... Yeah. It's got a nice hot ghost and everything, lol. There are... five stories, I think right now. There will probably end up being six. So I have a whole new batch of characters to torture, lol. By the time I'm done with Anna and Alex (the mediator and the hot ghost) you will feel very bad for whatever poor soul ends up in my stories... but they always have a happy ending. :-) 


	15. Chapter 15

IMPORTANT! A/N: I've decided to end this little mini-series of mine. I won't finish Everlasting, and I will probably eventually take it down. I'll finish Revelations, and then I'm done. I'll probably write more Mediator fics down the road, but let me tell you: Two years is entirely too long to spend on a series that never goes any farther than a website on the internet. Five—four, really—stories is a lot of work to try and keep people interested, especially when the writing's as slow going as it has been for Revelations. I can't do a long string of sequels, plus all the other stories I have in the works. I'm going on writing overload, and I think that Revelations is the story that suffers most from that. So I'm ending the series with this one. I've met a lot of awesome people, writing this story, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to get to know y'all. ::half smiles::  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Jesse materialized in George Hunter's office, surprised to see the usually neat and tidy room in complete disarray. Jesse felt his uneasiness at being back at the Agency wash away to be replaced by confusion. What was going on?  
  
He looked around for Hunter, frowning. The little man emerged from the mess, poking his cane through a pile of papers and boxes and waving it until it finally knocked a box out of his way. "Hmph," he grunted, hobbling through the open space. Then he looked up and noticed Jesse. "Ah, Mr. de Silva. What might I do for you?"  
  
"Are you coming to the trial?" Jesse blurted out without bothering with a preamble.  
  
Hunter didn't answer but he peered at Jesse curiously. "You look different, de Silva. What's happened to you? The last I saw you, you were a wreck."  
  
Jesse gritted his teeth, sighing. "Things have changed."  
  
The corners of the old man's lips quirked up. "Yes, apparently they have." He went to sit behind his desk. "To answer your question, I doubt that I'll be able to go." He waved a hand around at the office. "I doubt I could even if I wished to."  
  
Jesse snorted. "Somehow I doubt that. You've managed to leave here before, I saw you."  
  
Hunter shrugged. "Yes, well, there is only so much I can attempt. I'm an old man, Mr. de Silva, and I'm not nearly as strong as I once was." He smiled sadly. "Besides, I could hardly help you. I'm on the wrong side, remember? I am as much at fault for what goes on around here as anyone, and a jury would indict me right along with the rest of the Agency."  
  
"You are wrong, Hunter. I think that we are both very much on the same side." Jesse smiled. "We're both expendable, remember?"  
  
Hunter considered him for a long moment. Finally he gave a slow, wary smile. "Indeed we are."  
  
When the trial day finally came, I was getting pretty tired of waiting. Waiting for the trial, waiting for Jesse—we still hadn't really done anything, despite what had happened before. Oh, we still kissed and touched, and did everything that we had pretty much done before we got married, but Jesse said he wanted to wait until the trial was over before we did anything else. And he always managed to say it in a way that couldn't possibly make me mad at him, so what did I do? I agreed to wait.  
  
And so the day was finally there, and we were all sitting in a big courtroom with all these people—some of whom I recognized, some I didn't. Father Dom was sitting somewhere behind me, looking nervous. I couldn't blame him, I was feeling pretty nervous myself. There were even various ghosts lined up around the room—not that most of the people could actually see them, but our lawyer kept trying to assure me that they would when the time was right. I didn't get that at all, but I figured it was best not to argue with your own lawyer. At least not until after the trial.  
  
So, we were all sitting there, me, my family, and all the ghosts on one side, and people from the Agency on the other side. And mediators. Oh, jeez, where do all these people come from? They weren't all from California—apparently the Agency was bigger than we thought, because there were people from all over the western part of the U.S. That's part of the reason why it took so long for there to be a trial; because it was hard to track down all the mediators the Agency had affected over the years. Some of them didn't even have the same abilities as Paul or Derek or I had. They were the ones that Derek had mentioned when he'd been explaining it all to me; the ones who weren't affected by whatever the Agency had done to us, but had still been old enough to remember what happened.  
  
So, when they were ready to begin, the first thing out of whoever's mouth was "We call Susannah Simon to the stand."  
  
I nearly choked on the water I was drinking. I stood on shaky legs, and walked up to the stand. They made me raise my right hand and did the whole "Do you swear to tell the whole truth..." spiel. The minute I sat down, the questions started.  
  
"When was the first time you can remember coming in contact with the Agency?" my lawyer asked me.  
  
I took a deep breath, taking a quick glance around the room. Derek was standing against the far wall, smiling at me encouragingly. He was clutching the hand of a girl who looked vaguely familiar to me. I guessed it was Amelia, and she was smiling at me, too, even though we'd never actually met.  
  
I turned back to the lawyer and started telling everything from the beginning—at least, from the moment Paul Slater tied me up in an abandoned warehouse and told me I could control minds. That got a few snickers from people, but the lawyer just continued asking me questions.  
  
"What exactly is a mediator?" he asked at one point during my long winded speech, even though I knew perfectly well that he knew exactly what mediators were. But I guess he wanted me to let everyone else know what it was.  
  
"Well, it's a person who can see and talk to the dead"—more snickers—"and they help the ghosts of these people clear up whatever is holding them back so they can move on."  
  
While the lawyer asked me more questions, I noticed someone in the back of the courtroom. It was a little old man, kind of hunched over, and I couldn't really see from where I was, but I thought he was probably clutching a cane. He was muttering something that apparently was somehow carrying to other people sitting in the courtroom. What was he doing?  
  
After I'd been questioned by both the defense and the prosecution, I was allowed to step down and go back to my seat. Jesse came over and squeezed my hand, smiling at me. I smiled back, but my gaze drifted to people around us. People were turning to stare at me—at us. That was crazy, though. They couldn't possibly see Jesse, could they? My gaze shot back to Jesse, but he just grinned at me. What was going on?  
  
A string of mediators came and testified, until finally someone said, "We call George Hunter to the stand."  
  
I saw a few people from the Agency kind of stiffen at hearing that name. Curiously, I turned around to see who it was.  
  
Jesse made his way to the back of the courtroom and offered his arm to the old man I'd noticed before. The old man said something loudly about being able to get out of a seat by himself, but still took Jesse's arm and rose unsteadily to his feet. They made a slow progression down the aisle that divided the courtroom.  
  
I raised my eyebrows at Jesse as they passed, but he just kept grinning at me. I noticed the old man—George Hunter, I guess—turned and looked at the woman who I'd met first from the Agency. "Hello, Minerva."  
  
All I heard from what she said was a mumbled "Traitor."  
  
Hunter just grinned at her, and continued toward the stand, still holding Jesse's arm. Now I definitely knew that everyone else could see Jesse. They were all staring at him in shock and more than one person had to run from the room. But that wasn't the half of it, apparently. Oh, no.  
  
Just before he reached the stand, Hunter turned around and said to everyone in the courtroom in a very familiar tone, "Turn around, please."  
  
And everyone did. I stared at him, unable to believe what I was seeing. I'd never been able to control more than one living person at a time, and here this little old man was standing there, commanding dozens of people. But when I turned and looked around me, I heard any number of gasps and shrieks, and more people ran from the courtroom. They were all staring at the ghosts who lined the room. I met Derek's gaze from where I sat, and he did a little wave, grinning just as broadly as Jesse was.  
  
How, I wanted to know, could you possibly command an entire courtroom to see all those ghosts?  
  
Apparently, though, I wasn't going to find out any time soon, because Hunter turned and hobbled up to the stand.  
  
My lawyer stood up and walked up to the stand. He looked at Hunter for a long moment, then said, "Tell the court of your affiliation with the Agency."  
  
"Well, I suppose you could say I was its founder," Hunter said, leaning his cane against his chair.  
  
"You suppose?"  
  
"Yes. I was one of them, but I was also pretty much the head of the Agency for the first several years."  
  
"Why did you found something that was technically illegal?"  
  
"It wasn't illegal when we started it," Hunter said, shaking his head. "When we started, we took only mediators who were adults, mostly in their early twenties, or teenagers with the permission of their families. It was only afterward that they started to deal illegally."  
  
"After what, exactly, Mr. Hunter?"  
  
"After I was told by the Agency that I wasn't needed anymore." Hunter smiled wryly. "They decided that it was too risky to let me go for fear that I'd go public with what happened, and it was even riskier to outright kill me. The Agency hasn't been quite so considerate with others whom they've thought were a danger to it, but apparently to them it wasn't worth the risk." He shrugged. "So for the past twenty years I've been relegated to the top floor of the Agency where I won't be able to cause them any trouble."  
  
"Then how did you get here?"  
  
Hunter smiled slowly. "I plead the fifth."  
  
Hunter was on the stand for a long time. When he was done, he turned and looked at everyone—the judge, the lawyers, the jury, and everyone else left in the courtroom—and said, "I don't care if you indict me along with the rest of them, but I wanted the truth to be known." He stood shakily, leaning heavily on his cane and stepped down from the stand. Jesse helped him back up the aisle to his seat where he sat quietly for the rest of the trial.  
  
As I watched them move back there, an idea started to form in my head. Something that I hoped would help Jesse—and me. Something Hunter could definitely help me with.  
  
The trial lasted a few more weeks. In the end, the Agency was indicted on all charges—including first degree murder and illegal testing on minors. The people who had run the Agency were going away for a very long time.  
  
George Hunter got off since he hadn't been involved in any of the actual illegal activity. He'd been locked up in a room in the Agency, barely ever let out.  
  
Kind of like Jesse had been.  
  
Which, I guess, is why I went to see him a few days after the trial was over. There were certain things that needed to be done, and in all honesty, I didn't have the heart to do it myself.  
  
A/N: That was entirely too long for my taste. Though it should make up for lack of updating... I hope. :-) Sorry, y'all, I have to be evil just one more time. Just once, I promise. But come on, do you really think I could go that long without being at least a little evil? ::grins:: 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
  
The old Agency building seemed even creepier than usual when I entered it. Trust me, the last thing I wanted to do was go back there, but it was the only place I knew to look for Hunter. Besides, it was all empty now. The cops had come in and confiscated all the lab stuff. The only thing they'd left in tact was the third floor—which apparently was still Hunter's domain.  
  
I made my way through the first floor until I came to the stairwell. This building really wasn't much different than the old one—the one Derek and I destroyed. The first floor was still a maze of hallways that you could easily get lost in.  
  
The stupid place lacked one thing: an elevator. Sighing, I climbed the stairs to the third floor. The only thing that I could see was a door that I assumed led to Hunter's office. I knocked tentatively, wondering for what had to be the hundredth time if I really wanted to do this.  
  
There was a long pause, then I heard a faint, "Come in."  
  
Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door. Hunter was sitting at his desk, surrounded by boxes and papers. He looked up at me curiously. "Mrs. De Silva, I presume."  
  
I turned kind of red. The only person who's ever called me that was Derek, and that was only one time. "Er, it's just Suze."  
  
Hunter nodded, smiling slightly. "Of course." He motioned around the room. "You'll have to excuse the mess," he said. "I was... ah... searching for something before, and I haven't had the chance to clean up yet." He sat down in his chair. "I'd offer you a seat, but..."  
  
"That's okay," I said hurriedly. "I'm not staying long." Hunter looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to say why I was there. I took a deep breath. "Look, it's about Jesse."  
  
"I thought it might be," he said dryly.  
  
"Look, I know you didn't have anything to do with what happened to him, and you guys looked kind of chummy that day in court—"  
  
"Chummy isn't quite the word for it, but we've grown on each other somewhat."  
  
I nodded. "Right. But, anyway, Jesse's been different since... well, you know, and even though he's gotten better, he still has that sad, haunted look to him, and I know he thinks about what happened a lot... I was wondering if you could help him."  
  
Hunter looked at me for a long moment, tapping his fingers together idly. "How do you propose I do that? I'm not a psychiatrist, you know."  
  
I took another deep breath. "I know. But, look, I saw what you did in the courtroom, and I don't know how you did it, but you'd have to be pretty powerful."  
  
He smiled a little sadly. "You have no idea."  
  
"So, I figure that if you could control an entire courtroom, you could probably control one ghost, right?"  
  
"What exactly is it that you want me to do?" he asked gently, although I could see from the look on his face that he knew exactly what I was going to ask him.  
  
"Can you make him forget?" I blurted. "Can you make him forget what happened the last two years? I mean, right from when he made that stupid deal with Paul?"  
  
"Is that what you want?"  
  
I shook my head, looking away. "I don't know. But it's the best I can think to do." I sighed heavily. "Will you do it?"  
  
He was silent for a long time. Finally, he said, "Bring him here when you're ready, and I'll do it." When I glanced back at him he looked sad and solemn. "Just be sure you know what you're doing."  
  
"Thank you," I murmured, then walked as fast I could out of there.  
  
"Susannah?" Jesse looked up at me when I came into my room after my meeting with Hunter. He got up from the window seat and gave me a quick kiss. I felt like crying. I know that I was probably doing the best thing—the only thing I could think to do—and we'd both probably be happier in the end, but I still felt like crap for it.  
  
Jesse pulled back and frowned down at me. "Susannah, are you all right?"  
  
I laid my head on his chest sighing. I nodded, muttering something about feeling a little stressed. It wasn't exactly a lie, anyway.  
  
I felt him kiss the top of my head. "It will be all right," he promised.  
  
I hoped that he was right, and that I wasn't going to regret my decision. But for days after that, when I'd look at Jesse and still see that sad look in his eyes—a look that didn't go away, no matter how hard I tried to help him—I knew I didn't have a choice.  
  
Which is why I was standing in Hunter's office again about a week after our first meeting. Apparently he'd cleaned up a little, because there wasn't nearly as much stuff lying around. But he was still sitting at his desk, the frail old man guise effectively hiding all the power I knew he had. It was kind of strange to think about, really.  
  
Hunter smiled a greeting at me. "Hello, Susannah." He didn't call me Suze. Looking back on it later, I thought it would have sounded strange for some reason to hear him call me that. And I guess he called me Susannah because that's what Jesse always called me. "Have you decided?"  
  
I nodded. "Yeah. I want you to do it." I said it quickly so I wouldn't have time to change my mind.  
  
"You do understand what all this will mean, don't you?" he asked. When I nodded again, he sighed. "All right. Call him, then."  
  
"Jesse," I called, my voice sounding oddly distant, like I was hearing someone else say it from far away.  
  
And then he was there. Jesse materialized in front of me. He looked first at me, then at Hunter, and then back again. He frowned. "What's going on?" he demanded. He caught sight of my guilty look, and his face etched with concern. "Susannah?"  
  
I shot a glance at Hunter. He looked at Jesse. "Perhaps you should sit down, de Silva." Jesse complied, then Hunter turned back to me. "You might want to wait outside," he said gently.  
  
I didn't need to be told twice. Almost before Hunter had finished his sentence, I was out the door. I shut it behind me and slid down against the wall. Oh, God, I thought. What had I done?  
  
Jesse watched Susannah hurry out of the room. He felt his dread building. What was going on? He looked back at Hunter.  
  
The old man sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Your wife loves you, you know, de Silva."  
  
"Of course I know that," Jesse said. "What is going on here?"  
  
"It's important that you keep that in mind. You are very lucky to have someone who loves you as much as she does." Closing his eyes, Hunter rubbed his temples. "This will take a few moments. Some things go faster than others, you must understand." Before Jesse could ask him what he meant, Hunter opened his eyes, leaning forward. "You will forget everything that has happened in the past two years," he commanded. "Everything from the moment Derek Ashley came to see you."  
  
Almost immediately, Jesse felt the memories fading away. One by one the memories dissolved into nothing, leaving behind only a strange sense that something was missing. And in the midst of the fading memories, Jesse realized what Susannah had done. What she'd done in order to save him from himself. He wanted so badly to reach out to her, hold her, thank her...  
  
And then those thoughts faded away, too.  
  
After what seemed like forever, Hunter finally opened the door to his office. "You can come in now." His voice sounded weird, strained almost.  
  
I stood shakily and followed him into the room. Jesse was standing there, looking confused. When he caught sight of me, his expression softened. "Susannah, what happened?" He looked around, frowning. "Where are we?"  
  
I took his hand, fighting back the tears. "Come on, Jesse. Let's go home." I tugged on his hand, and we stepped toward the door. I turned and looked back at Hunter. "Thank you," I said softly.  
  
He just shrugged, looking at Jesse. "Goodbye, Mr. de Silva," was the only thing that came out of his mouth.  
  
Jesse looked at him. He had this look, like he was trying to figure something out. I closed my eyes. "Should I know you?" he asked Hunter.  
  
I opened my eyes in time to see Hunter smile a little. "No. No, you shouldn't," was all he said.  
  
I felt horrible the whole way home and for a few days afterward. Jesse looked like he wanted to talk to me about what happened, but he left me alone anyway. I think some part of him knew that it was better if he just didn't ask.  
  
I'd get over my guilt soon enough, I knew. I'd always feel sort of bad about it, but it'd get better, I knew.  
  
As it turned out, Jesse had his own way of remedying my poor mood.  
  
A/N: One more chapter... And the next one, I must warn you, has... ah... certain things in it that married people tend to do that Suze and Jesse haven't done in a while... (Don't laugh at me just because I can't say the word. Lol) Not all of it, though, so if you don't want to read that part, there's still a little bit of other stuff you need to read before it's over. 


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: long sigh I can't believe it's the last chapter, lol. I feel like I'm going to end this chapter (you know, preferably with a nice cliffie like I do with all my other chapters) and come back to write a new chapter tomorrow... or a month from now, whichever. Do you realize I've gotten nearly 200 reviews? 190, including the reviews I got for Another Haunted before I took it down and reposted it. I almost wish it wasn't over, hehe.  
  
Egh, and by the way, I know I said I was going to write... well, a love scene I guess, but I can't do it. I don't know why, I just can't, and it's already been a month since I last updated, and I don't want to wait anymore, so I'm cutting out the love scene. (Jenn: Please don't hurt me...) But I'll still throw in plenty of fluff. Not sure that I like the ending entirely, but...  
  
Last disclaimer: I don't own The Mediator. I own the Agency, most of the characters, and the plot. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!  
  
Chapter 17  
  
A few weeks after I went to see Hunter, I was still sort of in a slump. Jesse kept asking me what was wrong, and that just made it worse. Because as far as Jesse knew, one day we'd been perfectly happy together, and the next day I was moody and feeling guilty about something he didn't know about.  
  
Why is it that doing the right thing makes you feel so awful?  
  
I swear, I almost wished someone would come in and erase i memory. No such luck, though. I was stuck with it.  
  
So that's what I was thinking about on that particular night. I was lying curled up in my bed, trying unsuccessfully to go to sleep. That was nothing new. My inability to sleep, I mean. It seemed to be happening more and more.  
  
"Susannah," I heard a voice say.  
  
I shut my eyes tightly, not wanting to have to face Jesse and more of his questions. Maybe if he thought I was asleep he'd leave...  
  
"Susannah, I know you're awake," Jesse said more forcefully from my bedside. He shook my shoulder gently. "Susannah, please talk to me."  
  
I turned over finally to face him. "There's nothing to talk about," I said. "Nothing's wrong, Jesse."  
  
"Obviously something is wrong, otherwise you would not be acting so strangely." Jesse kneeled down next to my bed, taking my hand. "Querida, tell me what has happened to make you so distant," he said the silkiest, most gentle voice I'd ever heard him use. I shook my head vigorously. "Why can you not tell me?"  
  
"Because," I squeaked. "I'm afraid that if I tell you, you'll hate me for it. I don't want to lose you like that, Jesse."  
  
Jesse stood up and suddenly swept me up into his arms, sitting down on the bed and balancing me on his lap.  
  
I gasped a little. I hadn't been this close to Jesse in months, but now that I was, it just felt so good. I'd secretly dreamed about him holding me like this for so long. And Jesse... well, let me just say that, even though Jesse's mind didn't remember all those months—and the two years before that—of celibacy, but the rest of him sure did. At least, if the hardness I felt beneath me was any indication.  
  
Jesse pushed strands of hair from my face, and I met his gaze tentatively. His eyes were so filled with concern it nearly broke my heart. "Querida," he said softly, "I could never hate you. Do you understand? I love you, and you could never lose me."  
  
I layed my head on his chest, closing my eyes. "Please Jesse, don't make me tell you. Just... just hold me for awhile, okay?"  
  
He held me a little closer and sort of rocked back and forth, like he was holding a baby. God, how could I have forgotten how good it felt to be held by him? He had a way of making me feel loved and cherished when he did that, something that right then, I needed to feel.  
  
We just sat like that for a long time. Finally, Jesse kissed the top of my head and picked me up off his lap and layed me back down on the bed. For a minute I almost thought he was going to...well, you know... but instead he just kissed me, then layed down next to me and pulled me close again.  
  
"You can tell me anything, querida," he reminded me gently.  
  
I sighed, turning my head to look up at him. "I know." I gave him a little smile, snuggling closer to him. Closing my eyes, I murmured, "Maybe I'll tell you some other time."  
  
I don't what it was about Jesse holding me that made me feel better. Maybe it was because, laying there with him, he made me feel like he'd forgive me anything, no matter how bad it was. In his arms I felt safe and loved, and like I could tell him anything without having to worry.  
  
But of course, I didn't. Tell him, I mean. But I did tell him plenty of other, much more important things.  
  
"Jesse?"  
  
I felt him kiss my hair. "Hmm?" "I do love you, you know."  
  
He smiled against my hair. "I know, querida. I love you, too."  
  
I smiled, and a little while later I fell asleep in Jesse's arms.  
  
A/N: Thank you. 


	18. Acknowledgments

A/N: Okay, I haven't had any acknowledgments since Another Haunted, but... well, here it goes.  
  
First and foremost: Nicole/Person- without you I would not have started posting Another Haunted on It'd probably still be sitting on my piece-of-junk laptop and have no sequels to it at all. So, even though you haven't read this since Chapter 2 of Revelations, I still have to give you many thanks because without you I probably wouldn't written all of these things. Hmm, maybe that's not such a good thing...;-)  
  
Jenn- Thank you for bugging the heck out of me till I updated. I'm really really really sorry that I didn't put... eh hem... in the last chapter, but for whatever reason I couldn't do it. . I'm sorry! So, now that I've finally updated, YOU HAVE TO UPDATE! You said you wouldn't update until I did, so hah! I updated! And for anyone who hasn't read My Immortal yet... GO READ IT!  
  
And for all the people who've reviewed all the stories at one point or another... (sorry, doesn't include the people who reviewed Another Haunted before it was reposted...)  
  
Monkeys-r-us  
  
Jenn (hah, again, sorry), Princess Roxanne (my only Everlasting reviewers!)  
  
Gymnastkozy, Lizzie9, Nicole, bant (Bob), bloobloo, jess131346, Fireblade K'Chona, Divine-Bovines, Your Royal Sweetness, Drenched In Wine, Morgaine of Ithil  
  
XxPain Is My Power xX, The Ultimate Reviewer, Judith, Dixiehnsnluver, KnightMaria, Shae  
  
HeatherStacieA, Faith, callisto-78405, FearlessGMoore, Lana, Pluie, RuisWolf  
  
Caitlin, saccharine1, Mairen, TwistedDreams1, FridayBourne, Airna, NyzWickedPrincezZ, xiaoxiao, darkcherry, Rashiea, Summer, Melanie (who called me a bastard when I killed Derek... lol), Goddess from the Edge Of Time, haunted  
  
Allimba, Alexis De Silva, funkygal01, UnangelicHalo, MystiqueAngelique, honeybee, bookgirl, akaruiookami  
  
SusanB, amy88, ashlie, Jade Limill, shadoe, Susannah's Secret, Rain, Angel, "Me" (lol, that is how they signed the review, okay?), Sir Lancelot the Insane, DevilsQt, diva, and darkest-hour  
  
63 friggin' people. 192 reviews (so far).  
  
Well, umm... thank you guys for reading my stories, and thanks for putting up with my long absences from writing. :-) Hope y'all can read my next series... hehe, which is still in great need of repair. I think you might recognize some of the people that I put in there... hehe.  
  
Well, thank you. 


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